A UC Riverside professor showing students how to use Artificial Intelligence, or AI, in new ways to enhance their academic work is garnering media attention.
Rich Yueh, an assistant professor of teaching in information systems, demonstrated how the campus is applying Google’s NotebookLM in innovative ways in a recent interview with Los Angeles-based KTLA 5’s tech reporter Rich DeMuro.
The segment interviewed Yueh and several undergraduate business students in the state-of-the-art computer lab in the university's new School of Business building.
Yueh, who also advises the UCR student chapter of the Association for Information Systems, demonstrated how NotebookLM can analyze course materials and automatically generate study aids like text summaries and podcasts.
UCR’s strategic investment in enterprise solutions like Google’s Cloud Platform and its AI offerings, including NotebookLM, reflects a broader vision within the university’s central IT leadership, said Matthew Gunkel, chief information officer with Information Technology Solutions, or ITS.
“We’re focused on providing cutting-edge tools like NotebookLM to enhance teaching and learning, while simultaneously exploring AI’s potential to streamline administrative processes and drive innovation across the university,” Gunkel said. “Our goal is to equip our students, faculty, and staff with the resources they need to excel in an increasingly AI-driven world, ensuring UCR remains at the forefront of academic and research excellence.”
ITS has collaborated with staff and faculty members, such as Yueh, to leverage these technologies to enhance teaching and learning and address critical global challenges, Gunkel said.
Yueh said AI can be used in higher education to deepen learning and sharpen thinking.
“I teach students to ask the right questions, not just push buttons,” he said. “When AI is everywhere, curiosity, critical thinking, and human insight become the real competitive edge, positioning students to thrive and lead in an AI-forward future.”
Google, which has partnered with ITS, recommended UCR as an exemplary use case for NotebookLM in a university setting to KTLA.
The news segment video and an accompanying article can be viewed on the KTLA 5 website.
